Match-box-stacking device



June 15 1926.

L. E. PARKER MATCH- BOX STACKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 4:, 1924 %N M NW June 15 1926. 1,588,903

L. E. PARKER MATCH BOX STACKING DEVICE Filed April 4, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3111mm fez stares i T LI. f1 T LUCIALN E. PARKER, 01 WADSWORTH, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO MATCH COM- PANY, OF WADSWORTH, OHIU, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MATCH-EOX-STAOKING DEVICE.

Application filed April 1,1924. Serial No. 704,255.

This invention relates .to a device for receiving boxes of matches from a box filling and sliding machine and arranging them with each box resting upon one of its sides a so that all of the boxes of matches may be gathered into uniform stacks for delivery to a wrapping table for hand wrapplng, or to a wrapping machine, or for any other desired purpose.

The object of the invention is to accomplish this positioning, arranging and stacking of the boxes of matches with such rapidity as to handle the rapid and continuous feed of such boxes of matches from an ap- 15 propriate match box filling and sliding ma chine.

' To this end, the invention consists in a revoluble disk provided with a plurality of arms extending from its periphery and so 2 spaced as to receive boxes of matches between them, and a plate arranged below said disk and adapted to support the boxes of matches received between the arms of the disk. This mechanism is mounted for rota- 25 tion beneath the discharge chute of a match box filling and sliding machine and is ar ranged to discharge to a pair of travelling bands arranged in cooperative relation to the disk andadapted to receive between them and frictionally support and convey the boxes of matches from the disk to a stacking chute, means being provided for completely closing any partially closed boxes, as I will proceed now to explain and finally claim. 7

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like .parts are similarly designated,

Figure 1 ma plan view showing the essential features of my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a section taken in the plane of line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the disk and its associated plate. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail illustrating one of the adjustable supports for the guide membersof the travelling bands. 1

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates the discharge chute of a match box sliding machine beneath which is arranged a revoluble disk 2 provided on its periphery with a plurality of arms 3 so shaped at 4 that boxes of matches falling from the end 5 of the chute 1 will be caused to drop between two adjacent arms and rest upon their sides upon a plate 6 mounted below the disk and spaced therefrom as indi cated in Tig. 2. Rotary movement is im parted t0 the disk and plate by means of suitable gearing here shown as a bevel gear 69 7 and pinion 8, driven from any appropriate source, such as the drive of the sliding machine, by'a chain and sprocket connection 9.

The space between the disk 2 and plate 6 is formed to provide a drum or pulley 10 for the reception of a continuous travelling band 11 which passes around a pulley 12, and the portion 11' of which is guided between the drum 10 and pulley 12 by means of a guide bar 13 carried by a plurality of angle members or brackets 14- secured by bolts 15 to a. table 16.

A second travelling band 17, forming with the band 11 a travelling carrier, is arranged with its portion 17 in parallelism with the portion 11 of the band 11, and is carried upon pulleys 18 and 19. This band 17 has its portion 17 guided by a guide member 20 similar to theguide member 13 and supported upon the table 16 in like manner by similar angle members or brackets 14: and bolts 15. This guide member 20 has arranged upon its band adjacentface a plurality of resilient fingers 21 which bear against the band and tend to force it away from the guide member 20.

The belt 11 is driven by means of the drum 1 0, and the belt 17 is driven at the same linear speed as and by means of the belt 11, through gears 22 and 23 arranged upon the shafts 24 and 25 which carry the pulleys 12 and 18 respectively.

It will be seen that as theboxes of matches advance with the disk 2 in its rotation in the direction of the arrow, they will ,be brought with their ends between the bands 11 and 17 and will be picked up by frictional engagement of these bands with them and carried along by. the bands. The engagement of the bands with the boxes of matches so as to mg hold and convey them in proper position is ensured by means of the pressure exerted upon the portion 17 of the band 17 by the resilient fingers 21.

If any boxes of matches should fail to be grasped between the bands 11 and 1?, they will drop down upon the table 16 below these bands and will be swept along by other boxesof matches properly engaged by the bands until they fall through an opening 26 in the table. Also, if any boxes of matches are improperly (positioned between the bands or are damage or broken, but are carried along by them nevertheless, the machine attendant may easily dislodge them during their passage, and when they are above the opening 26, by simply pushing them downward from between the bands.

In order to provide for adjustment of the portions 11 and 17' of the bands so that the proper frictional engagement may be exerted by them upon the boxes of matches, the,

For the purpose of completely closing any boxes of matches which have not been so closed in the sliding machine, I provlde a roller 28 carried by a bracket 29 and acting against the band 17, the box of matches being supported for the action of this roller against an extension 13 of the guide member 13.

It is desirable in making an adjustment of the bands 11 and 17 to adjust the position of the roller 28, and to this end the bearing bracket 29 is secured by a bolt 30 to the table 16 and is adjustable in the same manner as are the angle brackets 14:.

Located at an appropriate distance above the table 16 and at such a distance below the lower edges of the portions 11' and 17 of the bands 11 and 17 as to receive the lower sides of the match boxes, is a supporting plate 31 which extends in both directions from a line passing through the centers of the shafts 24 and 25,'and in line with the direction of travel of the boxes of matches, and this plate is adapted to receive and align.

the boxes of matches and to support them when they are released by the bands 11 and 17 as the latter pass around the pulleys 12 and 18 and out of contact with the ends of the boxes. Above this plate 31 is arranged a channel member 32, the sides 33 of which converge slightly, as indicated in Fig. 1, and extend into a chute 34 which is of just sufficient size to permit of free sliding movement of the boxes of matches therein but of such dimensions as to prevent them from becoming skewed or disaligned while passing through it. It will thus be seen that as the boxes of matches are released by the bands 11 and 17 upon the plate 31, they will be forced forward along the plate 31 by boxes approachin behind them and will be guided by the c annel plate 32 into the chute 34.

I have herein spoken of the members 11 and 17 as travelling bands, and I wish it to be understood that by this term I intend to include either belts, chains or other flexible members which may be capable of serving the desired purpose.

It is also to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and operation of my device without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is 1. In a matchbox stacking device, a rotating disk, means carried by said disk for turning boxes of matches received thereon upon their tops or bottoms to positions upon their sides, a plate mounted below and rotating with said disk and adapted to r ceive theboxes of matches discharged upon said disk and positioned thereby, a travelling carrier arranged in cooperative relation with respect to said disk and plate and adapted to receive the boxes of matches therefrom and to convey them, and a discharge chute adapted to receive the boxes of matches conveyed by said carrier.

2. In a match box stacking device, a r0 tating disk provided with a plurality of spaced arms arranged upon its periphery, said arms being so shaped as to cause boxes of matches to fall upon their sides between the arms, a. plate arranged below and rotatable with said disk and adapted to receive the boxes of matches discharged upon said disk and falling between the arms thereof, and a travelling carrier arranged in cooperative relation with respect to said disk and plate and adapted to receive the boxes of matches from said plate and to convey them.

3. In a match box stacking device, a rotating disk provided with a plurality of spaced arms arranged upon its periphery, said arms being so shaped as to cause boxes of matches to fall upon their sides between the arms, a plate arranged below and rotatable with said disk and adapted to receive and support the boxes of matches discharged upon said disk and falling between said arms, and a-travelling carrier comprising a pair of spaced bands adapted to receive the boxes of matches from said plate and to convey them by frictional contact with them. a

4. In a match box stacking device, a rotatable disk provided with a plurality of spaced arms arranged upon its periphery, the radial faces of said arms being so shaped as to cause boxes of matches to fall upon their sides between the arms, a plate mounted below and rotatable with said disk and adapted to receive the boxes of matches discharged upon said disk and falling between the arms thereof, and a' travelling carrier comprising a pairiof travelling bands .ar-

ranged to travel throughout a portion of their length. in parallelism with each other l ke plate located below and rotatable with said} a sence 8 plate located below and rotatable with said disk, a travelling band arranged between said disk and plate and driven by said disk, a second travelling band arranged throughout a portion of its length in parallelism with said first mentioned band, means for imparting linear movement to said bands at the same speed, means for exerting resilient pressure upon one of said bands throughout that portion of its length wherein it is parallel to the other of said bands, said parallel and arranged to receive between them and frictionally engage and convey the boxes of matches advanced to them by said disk.

5. In a match box stacking device, a rotatable disk provided with a pluralityof arms arranged upon its periphery and'adapted to cause boxes of matches discharged upon said disk to fall upon their sides between said arms, a plate arranged below and carried by said disk and rotatable therewith and adapted to support the boxes of matches falling between the arms, a travelling carrier comprising a pair of travelling bands arranged to travel in parallel relation to each other throughout a portion of their length, and means cooperating with one of said bands and adapted to supply thereto pressure whereby boxes of matches advanced by said disk may be frictionally engaged between said bands and frictionally conveyed thereby.

6. In a match box stacking device, a rotatable disk provided with a plurality of spaced arms arranged upon its periphery, a

conveyor to receive boxes of matches from said plate and hold and convey the same by frictional engagement therewith, and means operating upon one of said bands and adapted to exert a closing pressure upon boxes not already completely closed.

8. In a match box stacking device, a rotatable disk provided with a plurality of spaced arms arranged upon its periphery, a plate mounted below said disk and rotatable therewith, a table arranged adjacent to said. disk and below the plate thereof, guides carried by said table in parallel relation to each other, a travelling carrier comprising a pair of travelling bands cooperating with said guides and thereby caused to travel in parallel relation to each other throughout a portion of their length, spring fingers carried by one of said guides and against which one of said belts travels, said belts adapted to receive between them boxes of matches carried by said disk and to convey such boxes of matches by frictional engagement with the ends thereof, and said table provided with an opening throu h which boxes of matches improperly positioned between said bands -may be dlscharged.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of March A. D. 1924.

l LUOIAN E. PARKER.

disk, a travelling band arranged between said disk and plate and driven by said disk, a second travelling band arranged throughout a portion of its length in parallelism with said first mentioned band, means for imparting linear movement to said bands at the same speed, and means for exerting resilient pressure upon one of said bands throughout that portion of its length wherein it is parallel to the other of said bands, said parallel portions of the bands acting as a travelling conveyor to receive boxes of matches from said plate and hold and conveylfhe same by frictional engagement therewit 7. In a match box stacking device, a rotatable disk provided with a plurality of spaced arms arranged upon its periphery, a

portions of the bands acting as a travelling 5 

